Brooks B17 saddle

Author:
Hilary Stone

For a bicycle part to be still in production for probably nearly 110
years is really quite unique – only matched by another saddle
from the Brooks range the B90. And from the 1920s right through to the
1970s it was the saddle of choice for most serious riders across the
world including pro riders from France, Netherlands and Italy who could
have chosen a saddle made in their own country. Hard riding tourists
will still often choose a B17 for the sheer comfort it offers over many
miles. Leather saddles mould to fit the rider’s shape and the
polished leather has just the right amount of friction for the rider to
sit on.

Earlier Brooks embossing
probably dating from around 1915

The Brooks B17 saddle was originally launched sometime in the mid 1890s
– it’s not been possible to establish the exact
year.
Initially, the B17 was not the top racing model in Brooks lineup. The
B9, B10 and B11 were the top racing saddles. The B17s of this period
were wider than today’s ones – the width varied a
little
from year to year but typically 8 1/2in wide compared to 6 3/4in for a
modern Standard. In 1905 Brooks introduced a new version of the B17,
the B17 Champion with dimensions of 11 x 6 1/2in almost identical to
the modern Standard model.
In the 1920s a new B17 model was
introduced, the
Narrow which was just 6in wide. It had made a brief appearance in the
1910 catalogue but it does not appear to become established in the
range before the 1920s. Another much more specialised saddle, the
Sprinter (4 3/8in wide) was introduced in the late 1920s; as the name
implies this was intended for short distance track events.

A further two new models were introduced for
1936 – the Flyer and the Swallow (left).
The Flyer was intermediate in width (5 1/4in) between the Sprinter and
Narrow. The Swallow was the same width as the Narrow but had cutaway
sides in order it was claimed to allow for more rider leg movement. A
year later the B17 Flyweight Champion was introduced. Earlier in the
30s Brooks had made several racing saddles with aluminium sideplates in
order to effect a weight saving. The Flyweight used conventional steel
wires but had an aluminium cantleplate and the leather significantly
trimmed, it was the same width as a Flyer and 5ozs lighter. A year
later it was renamed the Flyweight Flyer and a Flyweight version of the
Narrow was introduced.

World War II saw a drastic reduction in the range to the basic models
and it was not until 1949 that a wider range of models was offered. A
new range of lightweight models with aluminium cantleplates and
stainless steel rails was launched. On the standard range of B17
saddles chrome plated rails were also offered as an option for the
first time. They were numbered differently – B27 (Standard),
B37
(Narrow), B47 (Sprinter) and B57 (Swallow). In late 1952 (though
previously available on the continent) a new B17 model, the B17F was
introduced – this was essentially a modified version of the
Narrow with keyhole slots in the top and a more rounded cantleplate
with the leather trimmed away. This was similar to how many riders were
already modifying their saddles. This model later evolved into the
Special before disappearing from the catalogues just before the
announcement of the B17 Competition at the November 1954 London Cycle
Show. The Competition was slightly wider initially than the Narrow (6
¼in) and was intended strictly for the racing market. In
1959 a
special version, the B17 Competition Campagnolo was introduced with
longer rails set closer together offering more back and forth
adjustment in conjunction with a special seatpin from Campagnolo. This
saddle was not a great success – some riders complained that
it
was not stiff enough laterally. This was the last introduction to use
the name B17. But the Professional (introduced in 1963) and the Pro
Select were based on the B17 Competition but with larger rivets. The
Sprinter, Flyer and Swallow were all dropped in the late 1960s but in
the 1980s Brooks reintroduced new versions of the B17 Swallow
–
these were not of the same quality as the originals. But this year they
relaunched a limited edition of the Swallow made in virtually the same
way as the original. The B17 Standard and Narrow still remain in
production. And some B17 Standards have recently been offered with
titanium rails.

Detail Changes
The main design of the Brooks badge embossed on the side flaps has just
had three major changes though of course there have been many little
detail modifications. In the early days there was a large embossing
with intricate top half, the model name in the middle and J B Brooks
& Co at the bottom. By the early 1920s a simple oval badge with
Brooks in the centre and the model name around the bottom edge of the
oval was used. In 1954/5 the badge was changed to a parallelogram shape
with Brooks in the centre and the model name at the bottom.
(Post
1954/55 Brooks B17 Narrow)

The badges on the rear have changed too – early examples had
a
lovely fretted badge and in the 1960s there was even a period when no
rear badge was fitted.

The other main change has been to the saddlebag loops which almost all
B17s (barring most Sprinters, the B17F (Special) and Competition) have
been fitted with. Until the late 1930s metal loops were fitted within
the leather at the rear of the saddle. On the Flyweight models a wire
loop was added where the saddle rails met the cantleplate –
this
was soon adopted on the other models. By 1948 the cantleplate was
extended and saddle bag loops built into the extensions.

1930 Brooks B17 Standard with
bag-loop eyelets

Brooks B17 Sprinter - the
trackman's favourite

Cheaper Versions of
B17 range
There have been numerous cheaper models – the best known of
which
are the B15 which used leather which was supposedly of slightly less
good quality. In the post-war years Brooks also marketed similar
saddles under the Lycett, Wrights and Leatheries names –
these
were all cheaper quality saddles.